home Auditorium 8 How to overcome fear of surgery. Preparation for surgery under general anesthesia. Reasons for fear of surgery

How to overcome fear of surgery. Preparation for surgery under general anesthesia. Reasons for fear of surgery

Maria Kalinina

10 Dec 2012, 09:12

Maria Kalinina, anesthesiologist and resuscitator at the Novosibirsk clinic of aesthetic medicine “Golden Section”, spoke to Taige.info about doctors with whom you are not afraid to fall asleep, as well as about 10 phobias of patients before anesthesia.

Anesthesia as a way to make sure that the patient not only does not feel pain, but so that he does not feel or see a surgical intervention, was first introduced into practice by dentist Thomas Morton in 1846. The inscription on his monument in the United States reads: “Before him, surgery was always an agony.” But here’s the paradox: more than a century and a half later, patients in most cases fear anesthesia and its consequences much more than the operation itself. And this despite the fact that, based on world statistics, anesthesia is safer than traveling in a car.

Of course, it is also not necessary to say that anesthetics and their use are absolutely harmless. Sir Robert Mackintosh, the first head of the first department of anesthesiology in Europe, more than 60 years ago, expressed the idea that anesthesia is always dangerous, and therefore its implementation requires special training of specialists. At the same time, a recent survey of UK residents showed that almost 40% of the population have no idea who an anesthetist is. One can only guess what this percentage is in Russia.

Maria Kalinina, anesthesiologist and resuscitator at the Novosibirsk clinic of aesthetic medicine “Golden Section”, spoke to Taige.info about doctors with whom you are not afraid to fall asleep, as well as about 10 phobias of patients before anesthesia.

Fear of anaphylactic shock. They say that in Russia allergy tests for anesthesia drugs are not done. Is it so? How, then, is anesthesia for surgery selected? How is individual intolerance to a particular anesthetic drug determined in a patient?

— According to medical publications, the incidence of anaphylactic shock is 1 in 5-25 thousand patients receiving injections of general anesthetics. Allergy tests for some general anesthesia drugs are not really carried out in our country. However, when choosing an anesthesia method, the doctor carefully determines the possibility of developing this complication. A qualified anesthesia team is always prepared for the development of this serious complication.

Fears: “anesthesia takes away 5 years of a person’s life,” “anesthesia affects the heart!” Does anesthesia have a frequency limit? Why does proper anesthesia carry no risks? How do you understand that the anesthesiologist in front of you is a real professional?

— Anesthesia is inevitably associated with surgical treatment. If surgery is absolutely indicated, then anesthesia is only part of a complex of treatment measures. If we talk about general anesthesia, or anesthesia, then this is, first of all, the protection of the body during surgery, and the task of the anesthesiologist is to protect the patient from surgical trauma. Moreover, adequate anesthetic care can significantly reduce the need for treatment in the perioperative period, that is, during the period of the body’s stress reaction to surgical aggression and physiological adaptation to it.

Fears of anesthesia date back to the period in the development of medicine when toxic drugs were used for anesthesia

Often, all these fears of anesthesia are unfounded and relate to the period of development of medicine when toxic drugs were used for anesthesia. At the moment, complications caused by general anesthesia are minimal. Before administering anesthesia, the doctor explains to the patient the method of choosing anesthesia and possible risks. If the patient has questions that the doctor cannot answer, then he has the right by law to refuse the help of this specialist. Considering the fairly high responsibility, there are not many amateurs in our profession.

Fear of “anesthesia is the same drug.” Is it true that the best drugs for intravenous anesthesia are not available in Russia, and therefore, when performing such anesthesia, doctors often use drugs that are good at putting to sleep, but bad at pain relief? Is it really true that drugs are added to medications to avoid this?

— Intravenous anesthesia is a multicomponent technique. The effect is achieved by a combination of several drugs, the action of which is aimed at creating sleep, pain relief, and muscle relaxation. And only their competent combination provides comfortable, effective anesthesia. Today in Russia there is no shortage of drugs for this type of anesthesia.

Fear “What if I wake up during the operation?!” How is the process of falling asleep and waking up controlled? Is it really possible for a patient to wake up during surgery? How will he feel in this case? Will the operating team notice this?

— According to medical publications, the problem of “intraoperative restoration of consciousness” is the most common cause of lawsuits in the United States. But, as a rule, it is associated with a period of awakening in which the patient can hear the conversation of people around him. Today, in order to exclude such cases, the depth of anesthesia is monitored, which makes it possible to reduce their number to a minimum.

The patient should not endure pain. Adequate pain relief is one of the main tasks of the doctor supervising it.

Fear “Even if I don’t feel any pain during the operation, then after waking up it will all be restored!” How do you cope with postoperative pain? Many believe that it is better to endure it than to “stuff yourself with chemistry.”

— Pain, unfortunately, is an integral part of the postoperative period. It is associated with inevitable tissue damage during surgery. Its severity may vary, and this is due to the surgical technique. At the moment, there are many methods and drugs for adequate postoperative pain relief. The patient should not endure pain! Adequate pain relief is one of the main tasks of the doctor supervising it.

Fears “In my sleep I will be delirious, and the doctors will laugh at me. What if I hear it?”, “What if I blurt something out under general anesthesia?” Are there common cases of patient delirium during surgery? And how is the ethical side of the matter resolved?

— Ethical issues are topical for our society as a whole. Failure to comply with these canons lies with the personal responsibility of each person. But in general, if we are talking about professional ethics, then the medical staff of any clinic, including the Golden Section, bears legal responsibility for the disclosure of both medical confidentiality in general and what a patient under anesthesia may inadvertently say.

Fear: “anesthesia cripples the psyche of children”, “any anesthesia is dangerous for old people - the heart cannot stand it, a stroke may occur.” Does a growing child's body and a weakened old one automatically put these people at risk?

— If surgical treatment is necessary, then the lack of adequate anesthesia in childhood and older age groups is much more dangerous than the risks associated with anesthesia. In children, regional anesthesia is usually combined with general anesthesia. There is a principle: the child should not be “present” at his operation. Because for him this is a psychological shock, a fear that can remain for life. That's what's important. This principle must be followed 100% of the time.

Fear of spinal and epidural anesthesia: “I’m afraid of an injection in the back - they will damage the spinal cord, I will either die or remain crippled.” Are these fears really so groundless? How can this be avoided?

— According to studies conducted in Switzerland, the incidence of serious complications caused by regional anesthesia techniques varies from 1 in 40,000 to 1 in 200,000 patients. With strict, prescribed protocol, adherence to the methodology and sufficient technical support, these complications are minimal.

Modern methods of anesthesia allow you to comfortably begin it already in the ward and thereby eliminate fear

Fear “What if I have a panic attack before the anesthesia?” What to do with neurotics?

- Firstly, the psychological preparation of the patient is important here - both how his conversation with the doctor will turn out, and how the person will prepare himself. And secondly, modern methods of anesthesia allow you to start it quite comfortably already in the ward and thereby level out fear. Thus, in the “Golden Section” anesthesia begins not on the operating table, among special equipment and instruments, which creates even more fear, but in a comfortable room, in which the patient will also have to wake up.

Fear “I will fall asleep and not wake up.” Can a patient insist on local anesthesia if he is afraid to fall asleep?

— Adequate local anesthesia in some cases may be a priority choice. But only the presence of an anesthesiology team can clearly control the situation and create comfort.

If the clinic has an anesthesiology team on staff, this indicates high professionalism, the availability of expensive equipment, safety and the ability to minimize all risks. With such doctors you can fall asleep without fear.

Photos by Tatyana Lomakina

You will hardly find a person who goes to the hospital with pleasure and joy, unless he is a doctor who loves his job.

For people, a hospital is associated with negative emotions, pain, discomfort, and sometimes hopelessness. That is why we are so resistant to going to medical institutions, and in most cases we go there only in critical situations, when we cannot cope with the problem on our own, and we simply do not have the strength to endure. And so, if we go to a consultation and to a therapist with a calm mood, then we are very afraid of the surgeon.

Almost ninety-five percent of people experience fear before surgery, and the remaining five are those patients who go to surgeons in an unconscious state.

But, no matter how scary it may be, in some cases, surgical intervention is the only way to get rid of the disease, and sometimes to save a life or give it to your baby (we are talking about a caesarean section).

Don't feel embarrassed for being afraid. After all, it is human nature to experience emotions: joy, anxiety. This is fine. Fear is primarily a protective reaction of the body. And sometimes it is very difficult to overcome it on your own. And because of this, a sick person may categorically refuse surgical intervention, and more often than not, such pathological fear can have negative consequences for him. Unfortunately, time may be lost and the disease cannot be stopped.

How to prepare

Anxiety and worry are not the best companions for a person before an upcoming operation. Therefore, it is important for a patient who is about to undergo a planned surgical intervention to calm down and tune in to the positive course and result of the upcoming process.

How to calm down before surgery? First of all, get all the information about her. After all, what worries us most is:

what this operation is;
how long will it last;
what a person experiences (pain, discomfort) during and after;
how competent the surgeon and anesthesiologist are;
what complications may arise during and after the operation.

Also today, when television and the Internet are overwhelmed by a wave of negative information, our brain tenaciously stores all medical errors, but at the same time forgets how many lives the same doctors saved. Therefore, the fear of contracting any infection sometimes overshadows common sense. This also includes the concern that the doctor will be negligent and will definitely forget something about the person.

To dispel these doubts, as well as to get answers to all your questions regarding the upcoming operation, you need to feel free to talk about this topic with your doctor. An experienced surgeon, in a calm and confident voice, will talk not only about the operation itself and the possible consequences, but will also give qualified recommendations on how to properly prepare for the operation, and, if necessary, prescribe sedatives or an injection.

Also, for your peace of mind, you can get advice regarding the operation recommended for you from a surgeon from another clinic. This way you will receive confirmation that your doctor has acted correctly.

We hope these simple steps have eliminated a good deal of your fear.

But we won’t dwell on this. We continue to prepare for the operation and ensure ourselves a positive attitude, which means a successful outcome.

And so, the next moment, no matter how scary it may be, you must strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations. If the doctor has prescribed sedatives, then take them only in the strictly prescribed dosage. It is also important to understand that a sedative injection is a serious manipulation that can only be performed by a doctor in a hospital setting, since its consequences can be very unpredictable, especially in old age.

You should pass all the necessary tests so that before taking you to the table, the doctor sees the overall picture of your condition. This is necessary to determine the complexity of the operation, the degree of risks and possible complications, to choose the method of anesthesia and its drugs.

The support of loved ones plays a very important role. You shouldn't give it up. Even if you can’t bear it when people feel sorry for you or, on the contrary, you want to cry into your vest. After all, they say correctly: “Everything ingenious is simple.” In this case, you just need to tell your family and friends what kind of support you need. Don't take out your emotions on your family and friends. If you need a distraction, then say: “I have an acute lack of positive emotions, let’s go ride bicycles, or jump from a parachute” and in the same spirit, new emotions will allow you to relax and forget about anxiety, as well as memories of pleasant moments will add confidence in the results of treatment. Well, if you need to cry and hear words of reassurance, then tell your loved one: “Listen to me, support me, hug me, tell me that everything will be fine.” These seemingly simple psychological techniques in life can work wonders.

Many people seek peace in church. Even if you are not a believer, or you rarely go to church, go, light candles for God’s saints, and ask for help. Sincere prayer, even in its own words, calms.

It is also useful to distract yourself with pleasant and useful activities in the days before surgery.

Premedication before surgery

Premedication is the name given to drug preparation of a patient before an upcoming operation and anesthesia. It consists in the introduction of special drugs. This manipulation is also used before painful examination methods and in dentistry. The purpose of premedication is to reduce the patient’s anxiety and fear, adjust indicators, and prevent unwanted reactions. This manipulation has a sedative effect. After all, the patient immediately before the operation experiences incredible fear, he is terrified by the doctors, medical instruments, and the sight of the operating room; as a result, he is overexcited, his heart rate is rapid, his blood pressure may rise. This condition makes the work of the anesthesiologist difficult. Therefore, the patient is given a sedative injection.

With the help of premedication, they enhance the analgesic effect, both during general anesthesia and local anesthesia, and prevent the appearance of unwanted reflexes.

Premedication is prescribed and administered only by an anesthesiologist, taking into account the patient’s individual characteristics. It can be early and performed the day before surgery, or preoperative - directly on the operating table.

It must be said that young children absolutely do not need it, they do not understand what they have to go through and therefore do not experience such excitement. The anesthesiologist just needs to give him an injection of sleeping pills, the baby falls asleep in a few minutes and is transferred to the operating room.

But it is not advisable to administer sleeping pills to older people, especially at night. They are given a sedative injection.

Early premedication methods include taking tablets, intravenous and intramuscular injections, and suppositories.

On the operating table, the anesthesiologist uses various premedication schemes.

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How to get ready for surgery? A routine vaccination or going to the dentist can make a person nervous. Fear of surgery is a normal psychological reaction. The individual does not know what awaits him ahead, what the surgeon’s intervention will be. Before you understand how not to be afraid of surgery, you need to understand what exactly the fear arises from. This could be force majeure, the rehabilitation period, or reluctance to stay in hospital next to other patients. Such a phobia is difficult, but it can be overcome.

Main reasons for fear

The most common reason for fear before surgery is lack of information.. A person cannot imagine what exactly the intervention in his body will be like. Not all doctors want to share details and descriptions of the disease and mechanisms for eliminating it. Doctors do not always have time to talk with a patient, since there is a queue of patients in the corridors. For some medical specialists, it is difficult to tell the average person what the disease is and why it occurs. All this causes misunderstanding and fear.

People often get the impression that doctors are soulless people. They don’t care about the problems of an individual, they do not always strive to help, they can easily cause harm to health in order to finish their work as quickly as possible. In practice, everything looks different. The medical officer has a plan for receiving patients, he took an oath that he would save people's lives and improve their physiological health. Therefore, such fears are far-fetched and unjustified. If necessary, you can have a heart-to-heart talk with a psychologist or psychotherapist. It is not the doctor's responsibility to talk to the patient.

It happens that a person knows too much information about his disease. Most often, the search comes down to studying information written on the Internet. In practice, to make an accurate diagnosis, the patient needs to undergo a series of tests, which will then be analyzed by several medical specialists. Only after this can you find out what kind of disease the patient has and what treatment methods should be used.

Psychologists also advise you not to watch videos on the public network that show details of the operating process. There are a number of professions in which the sacrament must be preserved. A person’s consciousness may simply not tolerate what he sees, and phobias instantly develop. Medical specialists did not immediately come to carry out operations; their psyches were prepared (they spend more than 6 years at the university, study the structure of organs in detail, and attend autopsies). All this is not at all necessary for the average person to know.

How to get ready for surgery? Fear of surgery is often associated with anesthesia. This is another type of surgical intervention in the body. It causes panic. Some people think that anesthesia may not work; there will be pain that is incompatible with life.

In practice, the process is monitored by an experienced anesthesiologist; he has indicators that determine the readiness of the patient’s body for surgery. Additional fears are associated with the consequences of anesthesia. A small percentage of people believe that it is possible not to wake up after a drug-induced sleep (these are very minimal risks compared to driving a car).

How to get rid of the fear of surgery

The patient has the right to choose to accept or refuse the operation. When a surgical intervention on the body is established by a council of doctors to save a life or improve health, a person must refuse the operation in writing. This way, doctors will not be held responsible in case of an accident or unforeseen circumstances. In most cases, you just need to deal with the causes of fear

. A person may realize that a medical institution has a high level of service, a large number of satisfied clients, and a high level of training of medical specialists. Despite the minimal risks, the patient continues to be haunted by internal anxiety.

To get rid of such a phobia, it is enough to tell yourself about the need to improve your health. Sometimes it is impossible to do without surgical intervention. You need to try to cope with your emotions, write down rational arguments on paper, and re-read them several times.

Here's what you can do to minimize fear of surgery:
read prayers,
get distracted by other things,
weigh the risks
think positively
do not escalate the situation,

Prayer is one of the easiest ways to get rid of a phobia for those who believe in a higher power. For skeptics, this method will not bring much benefit. It is absolutely not necessary to go to church and light candles. It’s enough just to pray, ask for help, health and patience for yourself.

The most unpleasant time is the evening or night before surgery.

How to overcome fear? It is important not to be alone with your own thoughts. It is best to ask your loved ones to come visit, talk about pleasant topics, or go to the cinema or theater. There is no need to withdraw into yourself or dwell on negative thoughts.

A small percentage of the operation is due to force majeure circumstances. It is worth treating this as the structure of the world and nature as a whole. You won't be able to control everything. This fear can only be combated by collecting as much information as possible about the clinic and medical specialists. Please note that only one patient per 250 thousand people dies due to a medical error.. That is, the chances of dying for this reason are reduced to almost zero. The patient has a much higher chance of passing into another world due to the lack of treatment measures for his disease.

Positive thinking can help overcome fear of surgery. You need to try to think only about good things. It is important to force yourself to replay exclusively pleasant memories in your head before going to bed, and not to focus on the upcoming surgical intervention. You can try to visualize how your life will change in a positive direction after the operation.

For example, if a person is about to have his appendicitis removed, then one can imagine going to a restaurant or visiting entertainment venues. During gynecological surgery, it is advisable to think about future childbirth and pregnancy. Under no circumstances should you escalate the situation.

It is advisable not to seek information about force majeure during the operation, how death occurs and for what reasons. You need to tune in to a positive wave.

If none of the above points help, then you can simply drink a sedative. It will stimulate deep sleep and improve the overall physical and mental health of the patient.

Suitable means for taking inside the body are:

chamomile
St. John's wort
fireweed

Please note that before taking such herbs, you must consult your doctor. It happens that the patient has an allergic reaction, or the simultaneous use of several medications is contraindicated.

How not to be afraid of what will happen during and after the operation? The answer is obvious - just relax, forget about the bad, trust the doctors and yourself.

If a person is in the hospital before an upcoming surgical intervention, then you can walk along the floors of the medical facility and talk with other patients. Information about how other people struggled with their fears may be useful; you can ask how patients feel after surgery, whether the experience was worth it. This way, time will pass much faster, and there will be no room for negative thoughts.

Physical preparation for surgery

Before the upcoming surgical intervention, it will also not be superfluous to physically prepare the patient. It is worth adhering to a few simple rules:

do not drink alcohol several months before surgery,
try to smoke as little as possible,
follow the diet prescribed by the doctor,
do not use perfumes and decorative cosmetics,
use internally only those medications prescribed by the doctor,
measure and record your own temperature and pressure every morning.

In order not to be afraid of surgery, you just need to not let fear into your mind. It is important to remember that surgery is performed by a team of doctors and nurses. If there is a reasonable fear that the specialist will not cope with the task, then it is better to seek help from another surgeon. If the tests are unreliable, you can always undergo a re-examination. How not to be afraid of accidents? It is important simply not to focus your attention on this fact. You just need to accept that this happens in the world, but it affects individual lives.

To get rid of fear as soon as possible, experts advise telling your doctor about your phobia. It happens that patients hide facts from their anamnesis. They do not provide information about past sexually transmitted diseases or injuries. Before the date of surgery is scheduled, the patient may realize that he has given false information to the medical professional. In practice this can lead to negative consequences.

There are fearless people who are ready to go under the knife without any rational explanation as to why surgery is needed. Here we are talking about those who are obsessed with plastic surgery and adjusting individual parts of the body. Such people are not afraid of anything. Their fear is often false, since unjustified surgery (without appropriate medical indications) can significantly worsen their health.

Basic rules for preparing for surgery

How not to be afraid of surgery? First of all, you need to acquire psychological health, calm down, try to achieve a state of peace. The patient needs to clearly understand that the operation will have a positive effect on his body and will help him function better. The sooner surgical intervention occurs, the better for the patient.

It is worth preparing not only from a moral point of view, but also from a practical point of view. It is important to choose a clinic where experienced specialists work. This will increase the chances of a favorable outcome of the event. If this is possible, then you need to undergo preoperative preparation.

Preparation consists of the following steps:

Providing the necessary tests to the attending physician before surgery.
Quitting bad habits several weeks or months before surgery, depending on your state of health and the complexity of the procedure.
Changing your diet towards dietary foods.

We must remember that every day thousands of people undergo surgery. In this way they take care of their own health. Those patients who do not know how not to be afraid of surgery should pay attention to the recommendations.

It is important to be attuned to the fact that the doctor has the appropriate competencies to carry out the procedure. The outcome of the treatment will be positive, side effects are practically excluded. You need to believe in yourself and not doubt the presence of internal strength in order to recover safely after surgery.

A few days before surgery, the patient can seek psychological help (such people usually give parting words and set the patient on a positive wave). Additionally, experts advise using an audio player with relaxing music, watching comedies, and reading jokes. The patient will benefit from reading positive reviews about the operations performed, about the clinic itself and the doctors. The most important thing is that there is no need to fantasize and visualize the negative consequences of the operation. Any medical worker first of all strives to help the patient, and not to harm him.

Surgeons are doctors whom, despite the great respect for their courage and professionalism, I would like to contact only for preventive purposes. Nevertheless, most people have to go on the operating table at least once in their lives, sometimes to save their lives, and sometimes not only (for example, when a woman is indicated for a cesarean section).

There is only one thing left for us to do - come to terms with this thought and trust the competence of doctors. Because the longer a person waits to make a decision, the more complicated his problem becomes.

Few people are able to manage their emotions so well that they do not feel afraid of surgery at all. It's normal to feel nervous. How to overcome anxiety and how to mentally prepare for surgery? Some tips are in our article.

Tip 1

Talk to doctors

If a person is scheduled for surgical intervention and not on an emergency basis, there is always a chance to understand how to calm down before the operation so that on the important day you can come to the medical facility in full combat readiness, being optimistic. It is no secret that in recovery it is the patient’s mood that plays almost the key role.

Often we worry about something due to primitive lack of information. The prospect of surgical intervention is no exception.

Patients may be worried about a variety of fears - and among them there are both rational ones, associated with real risks, and completely irrational ones, for which there are no grounds.

For example, people undergoing surgery may worry that:

The operation will be performed by incompetent specialists.
Unforeseen difficulties will arise.
During the operation there is a risk of becoming infected with something.
The surgeon will leave an object in the patient.
There will be postoperative pain.

To dispel these doubts, it is very important to first communicate with the surgeon and anesthesiologist to ask all your questions. For example, how to prepare for surgery under general anesthesia. In most cases, doctors are required to carry out not only a series of medical examinations and tests, but also consultation with the patient specifically on the issues of the upcoming operation. For example, you could ask:

How exactly the risk of complications is minimized;
what difficulties are possible and what you can do to avoid them;
what modern medical inventions make it possible to perform surgery with a minimum of risks and high efficiency;
how anesthesia is administered before surgery (or rather, what type of anesthesia is used);
how a person feels during and after surgery;
what pain relief medications will be used;
How many such operations has the surgeon already performed? Usually after answering “Ten” it becomes much easier.

If necessary, you can talk to another surgeon from another hospital to compare answers and put your mind at ease.

When a person is well informed and imagines what exactly will happen in the operating room, it is easier for him to figure out how not to be afraid of the operation.

Tip 2

Follow the rules

The doctor must tell you what can be done before the operation and what absolutely cannot be done: what tests to take, what to eat and drink (or not to eat at all), what specific procedures and preparations to carry out.

It is very important to strictly follow what the doctor said. And, for example, if you can’t eat in the evening, you shouldn’t wake up at night and, out of nerves, gnaw on cookies in the kitchen until the morning.
All the rules for preparing for surgery were invented for a reason, but for some important purpose.

Tip 3

Support from loved ones

It’s great if a person has good relationships with close people - family and friends, and there is someone to support him. But here it is very important that the tone is chosen correctly. Someone might find it helpful to be able to complain about their fears and cry on someone’s reliable shoulder. But you absolutely cannot feel sorry for someone - as soon as a person sees emotions in the eyes of others, this is transmitted to him, and even a strong spirit can become unstuck, while you need to remain optimistic. Your friends are probably thinking about how to find words of support before surgery.

Voice your expectations: ask you not to regret, but to maintain faith in a positive outcome.

Try, if the situation allows it, to joke more and think about the future - when everything is left behind.

Tip 4

Go to your confessor
For believers, this is also a very important moment. When preparing for surgery, it is useful to visit your church and tell the priest about the important event you are facing and ask to pray for you.

Before surgery, you need to pray not only for yourself - you also need to pray for the surgeon before the operation (and other participants in the process).

Often, patients who are about to undergo surgery, especially if the doctor has not provided them with enough information, tend to fill in the gaps on their own. Usually, to do this, they read articles on the Internet, forums and watch videos (note deleted by the owner) recordings of similar operations. This can be done, but it is important to consider your character and not overdo it. Still, there may be materials on the Internet written by not very competent authors, on forums there may be too much emotion rather than objectivity, and video (note deleted by the owner) recordings... Such a sight is not for every eye.

If a person is suspicious and emotional, it is better to abstain. It is optimal to strive to receive information first-hand – from a doctor.

Tip 6

Pleasant activities

Instead of sitting near the window all day a week before the operation and biting your nails because of your nerves, it is better to do something useful and pleasant, to distract yourself - even if it seems that you can’t think about anything else. Do what you like: be creative, take care of your family, watch positive films...

Tip 7

Think about the future

When surgery is ahead, it is better to think not about the process itself or the recovery period, but about what exactly it will bring. For example, if a girl is thinking about how to prepare herself for gynecological surgery, you can dream about how this will help maintain her women's health.

Conclusion

I would like to hope that most people will still pass this cup - at least regarding serious operations. And if intervention is still required, then only as planned, minor and without negative consequences. When a person has to go through such a test, it is important to try to pull himself together and be positive. To do this, you need to collect as much objective information as possible, accept support from loved ones and pay attention to spiritual preparation.

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An upcoming operation always causes anxiety and worry, regardless of whether the person has had a similar experience. In order not to expose your body to stress, you need to know how to overcome the fear of surgery under general anesthesia.

Surgery under anesthesia causes fear and anxiety in the patient

There are many reasons for the development of this fear and they are individual for each person. It is possible and necessary to fight them, since surgery, anesthesia and postoperative recovery are already a huge burden on the body. You shouldn’t expose him to destructive obsessive fear.

Causes of fear

Speaking about the reasons for fear of surgery under general anesthesia, it is impossible to single out any special reasons. Fear is based on thanatophobia (fear of death), iatrophobia (fear of doctors), and tomophobia (fear of operations). This phobia is very rarely preceded by psychological trauma or emotional shock. In most cases, it is based on the patient’s far-fetched experiences. Fear of surgery arises due to:

Lack of information. The person does not know how the surgery will take place. What frightens him is not the fact of the procedure itself, but the inability to control it in an unconscious state. It makes you feel helpless and vulnerable.
Too much information. The medical staff explains in detail what they will do during the operation. Particularly impressionable and suspicious people are able to imagine a picture with the most unpleasant details.
Stories from other patients have the worst effect on a person before surgery. You can hear that an anesthesiologist can do his job incorrectly and the person will wake up.

Modern drugs have virtually no side effects; during the operation, the anesthesiologist is next to the surgeon and monitors the patient’s condition. If the effect of anesthesia comes to an end, then it is extended with another portion of the medicine.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this fear, like any manifestation of fear, are typical. They greatly complicate the work of anesthesiologists, as the heart rate is disrupted and blood pressure rises greatly. In this condition, it is more difficult to determine the dose of anesthesia for the patient. Somatic manifestations of fear are:

Panic attacks are also possible, in the midst of which a person cannot control himself.

Methods for dealing with fear

You can get rid of fear on the eve of surgery using techniques developed by psychotherapists to help people in such a situation. Doctors may prescribe powerful sedatives that relax muscles, reduce emotional stress, and prepare the patient for anesthesia.

Psychological preparation

The support of loved ones, as well as consultation with a psychotherapist, helps to overcome fear. Experts recommend using the following methods:

Action by contradiction: you need to imagine in the smallest detail how the operation would take place in the complete absence of anesthesia.
Introductory lectures: educational program on the topic of how the operation occurs and what consequences it brings. This will help cope with fear if the person is not very impressionable and can calmly look at blood (if we are talking about watching thematic videos).
Detachment, maximum detachment from reality. This technique is relevant for children. The patient imagines that everything that happens to him is actually happening to another person, a character from a fairy tale or a movie character.

It is difficult to calmly survive the fear of surgery if the patient withdraws into himself.

To get rid of the fear of anesthesia, you should imagine how the operation would have gone without it.

Conclusion

It will not be easy to remove fear if a person is really afraid of surgery under anesthesia. It is necessary to be aware of the fact that this is being done for good.

If it is possible to carry out the procedure under another type of anesthesia, this should be discussed with the anesthesiologist. This may help relieve panic attacks if the phobia is related to general anesthesia.